Flipper finger guard



Oct. 11, 1960 Filed Sept. 17, 1959 J. HIMKA FLIPPER FINGER GUARD 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN T OR.

Oct. 11, 1960 J. HIMKA v 2,955,871

FLIPPER FINGER GUARD Filed Sept. 17, 1959 3 Sheet-Sheet 2 IN VEN T OR.

ATTORNEY Oct. 11, 1960 J. HIMKA FVLIPPER FINGER GUARD 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 1'7, 1959 INVENTOR. cfofifl 57/71/53 BY WM A TTOR/VE Y f Patented Oct. '11, 1960 FLIPPER FINGER GUARD John Himka, Farmington, Mich., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 17, 1959, Ser. No. 840,593

Claims. (Cl. 29644) The present invention relates to an improved finger guard design and more particularly one in which the finger guard is pivotally movable with an associated door. The subject flipper finger guard arrangement permits the non-interfering opening movement of the door without the necessity of permitting an undue clearance or opening between'the door and the flipper finger guard.

Since the advent of doors mounted on pillars in such a way that when the door is opened the edge of the door pivots inwardly of the vehicle body, it has been a serious problem to mount the door so as not to interfere with the body during its opening movement.- This situation has been seriously aggravated in recent years with the utilization of highly sculptured bodies and door panel designs having one or more large outwardly extending ribs.

In the present unique design the door pillar is recessed considerably from the outer door edge body panels with the flipper finger guard being mounted thereto by an outwardly extending bracket mounted on the pillar and which finger guard is also connected through a suitable hinge member to the door whereby as the door opens the finger guard is caused to pivot in an opening direction permitting the inwardly opening portion of the door to pass freely. It is apparent that with this type of finger guard design very little clearance is required between the door and the guard when they are in their closed position thereby greatly enhancing the appearance of the vehicle body.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from a perusal of the detailed description which follows.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a vehicle body embodying the subject invention;

Figure 2 is a View along line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is similar to the view of Figure 2 with the door and flipper finger guard open;

Figure 4 is a view along line 4-4 of Figure l; and

Figure 5 is a view along line 55 of Figure 2.

A vehicle body is shown generally at and includes front and rear doors 12 and 14. The vehicle is of the pillarless type in which the front door 12 is mounted proximate its forward edge on the vehicle body while the rear door 14 is mounted at its forward edge on a reinforced pillar member 16 which terminates at the vehicle belt line.

Rear door 14 includes inner and outer panels 18 and 20. Inner panel 18 is bent outwardly to form a forward end wall 22. Door end wall 22 is recessed to provide a hinge cavity 26. An upper hinge bracket 28 is mounted I vides a concealed hinge construction in which the forward or leading edge 38 of the door extends beyond and hence covers the hinge brackets and terminates adjacent a finger guard member 40 disposed between the front and rear doors. Previously the finger guard member has been: fixed to the door pillar to complete the enclosure of thehinge structure. However, due to the inwardly opening movement of the leading edge of the rear door it has been: necessary in the past to provide aconsiderable opening 7 between the leading edge of the door and the finger guard thereby detracting somewhat from the appearance of thecar and also frequently-resulting in interference between the door and guard.

In the present design, finger guard 40 is pivotally supported upon hinge straps 42 and 44 to door pillar 16 through pins 46 and 48 which are, in turn, fixed to brackets 50 and 52 on guard 40. A gooseneck hinge member 54 is articulated between the upper flipper door guard bracket 50 and the upper door hinge bracket 28. The point of articulation 56 of gooseneck hinge strap 54 to guard bracket 50 .is disposed longitudinally rearwardly of the supporting pin 46. Thus as seen in Figure 3, as rear door 14 opens, hinge strap 54 will also impart an opening movement to the flipper finger guard whereby the latter Will pivot about pins 46 and 48 permitting the leading edge 38 of the door to move inwardly in a noninterfering relationship with the remainder of the door supporting structure.

I claim:

1. A door assembly comprising a door having inner and outer panels and an end wall therebetween, a door supporting pillar disposed proximate said end wall, said pillar extending transversely of said door and terminating inwardly of the outer door panel, a plurality of hinge brackets mounted on said end wall, a plurality of hinge straps fixed at one end to said pillar and articulated at their other ends to said door brackets to permit the door to pivot relative to said pillar such that the leading edge of the outer door panel rotates inwardly relative to the vehicle body, a second set of supporting straps fixed to the door pillar, a guard member pivotally mounted on said second set of supporting straps, said guard member including an outer wall aligned with said outer door panel and including an edge terminating proximate the leading edge of said outer door panel, and a hinge member articulated between said guard member and said door whereby opening movement of said door will also cause said guard member to open.

2. A door assembly comprising a door having inner and outer panels and an end wall therebetween, a door supporting pillar disposed proximate said end wall, said pillar extending transversely of said door and terminating; inwardly of the outer door panel, a plurality of hinge; brackets mounted on said end wall, a plurality of hinge straps fixed at one end to said pillar and articulated at: their other ends to said door brackets to permit the door to pivot relative to said pillar such that the leading edge of the outer door panel rotates inwardly relative to the vehicle body, a second set of supporting straps fixed to the door pillar and each terminating at one end inboard1 of the outer door panel, a guard member pivotally mounted on said second set of supporting straps, saidi guard member including an outer wall aligned with said ,1 outer door panel and including an edge terminating proximate the leading edge of said outer door panel, and a,

hinge member articulated between said guard member and one of said door hinge brackets whereby opening: movement of said door will also cause said guard mem-- ber to open.

3. A door assembly comprising a door having inner and outer panels and an end wall therebetween, a door supporting pillar disposed proximate said end wall, saidri brackets mounted on said end wall with said cavity, 'a'

plprality ofhinge strapsfixed. at one end, to, said 'pillar. articulated at theirrother, ends to said doonbrackets to, permitJthe door. pivotrelativerto said 1 pillar such that the leading edge of the outer! door panel rotateslina wardly relative to the, vehicle body, a second set of supporting straps fixed to the. door pillarland extending transversely of the doors and each: terminating at one end inboard of the outer door panel, a guard member, pins, articulating said. guardrnember. to said second set of supporting straps, said guard member including an outer wallaligned with said-outer dooripanel and includf ing'anfedge terminating proximate-the. leading edge of said outer door panel, and a gooseneck hinge'member articulated at one end to oneof said door hinge brackets,

a; pin articulating the other end of. the gooseneck hinge member to the; guard member'at a point spaced rearwardly of; thepins articulating the guard member to the second,

set of hinge straps whereby opening movement of said door will also .cause said guard member'to open. '4; A door assembly asset forthin claim 3 in whic the hinge brackets are spaced rearwardly and inwardly.

relative to the points of articulation of the finger guard,

to the second; setof supporting straps whereby upon 4. opening movement of the door and finger guard the leading edge of the doormoves inwardly and behind said guard. 1 r V 5. A door assembly comprising a door having inner and outer panels and an end wall therebetween, a door supporting pillar disposed proximate said end wall, said pillar extending transversely of said door and terminating inwardly of the outerdoor panel, a plurality of hinge brackets mounted on said end wall, a'plurality of hinge straps fixed at one end to said pillar and articulated at their other ends to said door brackets-to permit the door to pivot relative to said pillar such that the leading edge of the outer door panel rotates inwardly relative to the vehicle body, 'a guard member pivotally mounted on said pillar and including an outer wall aligned with said outer door panel, said outer wall including an edge terminating proximate the leading edge of the door, and'means interconnecting said door and said guard whereby opening movement oi said door will also cause said guard memberto'open. w i

'ReferencesCited in, the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,626,844 Kuhn May 3, 1927 2,065,685 Gaisman "Dec. 29, 1936 2,116,330 Tjaarda May 3, 193a 

